At Common Council tonight, there’ll be, among other items, ongoing consideration of the proposed 2015 budget, and a presentation from Chancellor Telfer on the Tech Park.
Both items offer curiosities. As in past years, City Manager Clapper will stand back from the discussion of the bus, but happily accept any money Council offers for it. It’s an unavailing position: his administration either supports funding or it doesn’t support funding. Mr. Clapper is not somehow disconnected from his own administration, as though a bystander to this proposed budget (one that is, in a 289-page document, of his own drafting).
The second curiosity is Chancellor Telfer’s scheduled presentation on the Tech Park. It’s hard to fathom why Richard Telfer thinks this tech park will be a legacy for him. It’s a shabby affair, and won’t get better. He was a favorite of many as chancellor because, as a longstanding resident, it seemed as though he’d be able to manage city-campus relations fairly well. He’s made hash of those relations, and student and non-student residents are as far apart as ever. A few new buildings on campus, or a multi-million-dollar home for CESA 2 near a dog park, will not cement a worthy legacy.
Both topics are well worth following.